Dancing With The Stars Super Bowl Night brings NFL legends, celebrity cameos, controversy in new episode

“Dancing with the Stars” brought Super Bowl halftime performances to the ballroom, but controversy and an elimination stole some of the spotlight as the competition heads into dedication night.

Week five featured couples performing iconic songs from past Super Bowl halftime shows. NFL legends Emmitt Smith, Donald Driver, DeMarcus Ware and Danny Amendola also made special appearances, dancing alongside professionals and troupe members. 

One of the night’s memorable moments came during Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa’s Jazz routine, when Stiles brought her “Save The Last Dance” co-star Sean Patrick Thomas into the ballroom for a cameo. 

NFL “Monday Night Football” commentator Joe Buck joined the panel as a guest judge, bringing the total possible score for each couple to 40 points. However, the evening also brought controversy to the judge’s panel. 

Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson sparked debate with judge Carrie Ann Inaba over an alleged illegal lift in their Samba. Johnson’s husband and fellow professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy added to the discussion with comments on social media, fueling further drama surrounding the moment. Social media has dubbed the controversy as “lift gate.” 

Although some couples earned nines from the judges, no contestant has received a perfect 10 throughout the competition so far. 

Talk show personality Guillermo Rodriguez and professional Witney Carson were eliminated at the end of the night. The pair performed a Salsa to Bad Bunny’s “Titi Mi Pregunto: and earned their highest judges scores of the competition, receiving 22 out of 40.

Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy along with Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagatch, enter week six at the top of the leaderboard with 36 points each. Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov follow with 34 points. 

Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas, Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa and Shum Jr. and Johnson are tied with 33 points. Jackson Olson and Emma Slater hold 31 points, followed by Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess with 30. 

Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik have 29 points, while Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold enter next week with 25 points. 

Next week the 10 remaining couples will trade the Super Bowl spectacle for emotional performances dedicated to significant people, groups or meaningful figures in their lives. Two time Mirrorball champion and former professional Kym Johnson will return as a guest judge for the second consecutive year. 

Ali and Ravnik will perform a Viennese Waltz to Nancy Wilson’s “(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am,” dedicated to James Avery. Cameron and Burgess will dance a Contemporary to Ed Sheeran’s “Supermarket Flowers” in honor of all mothers. 

Dewan and Chmerkovskiy will perform a Viennese Waltz to “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers dedicated to Dewan’s mother, Nancy. Frech and Karagatch will dance a Contemporary to Mon Rovia’s “Bloodline” for Frech’s mother, Bahar, while Glenn and Pashkov will also be dancing Contemporary to “Breathe” by Sia for Glenn’s sister, Brooke. 

Higgins and Ballas will perform a Paso Doble to Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” in dedication to Ireland. Olsen and Slater will Quickstep to Nat King Cole’s “L-O-V-E” for Olsen’s mother, Laura. 

Shum Jr. and Johnson will perform a Foxtrot to John Mayer’s “Stop This Train” dedicated to Shum Jr.’s wife, Shelby. Stiles and Sosa will dance Contemporary to Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” in honor of the late Heath Ledger. Wood and Arnold will be dancing Viennese Waltz to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” dedicated to Wood’s father, Pete. 

With celebrities’ personal stories taking center stage, Dedication Night will give the remaining couples another opportunity to connect with viewers and dance their way closer to the Mirrorball Trophy.